Front rod for railway switches



June 5, 1945. n-H 2,377,818

FRONT ROD FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES Filed June 29, 1944 A fa f t fa 17 I la E 17 (15; 1& (1 9a v I v I0 I 3::1'; [062 :Q 4 9' 66' [6 11 I512 kY Ma 141, 3

IN VEN TOR Harry [1. $122 :25. a 1 1151.1

H11! ATTORNEY Patented June 5, 1945 ED STATES PATENT ()FFIC E.

. 2,377,818. mom ROD-FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES.

Harry RrSmith, Wilkinsburg; Pa, assignorto The Union Switch: & Signal Company, SwissvaIe,

Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania.

Application June 29, 1944,. Serial'No. 542,666 I 3 Claims.

invention relates to front rods for railway switches.

One object of my invention is. toprovide a front rod having novel means for adjusting the length of the rod. to adapt. it to different switch point spacings.

Another object of my invention is. to provide a front rod including a'novel form. of switch basket which serves both as a. means for adjusting the length of the front. rod and as a meansv for connecting a lock. rod. to the front rod.v

Another object of my invention is to provide a front rod made up of duplicateparts one for attachment to each switch point.

According to my invention the front rod consists of two similar bars having. welded thereto at one end similar eye lugs and each provided at the other ends with serrations which cooperate with mating serrations on the cover of a switch basket of novel construction to enable the length of the front rod to be adjusted to the desired switch point spacing.

Other objects and characteristic features of my invention will become apparent as the de soription proceeds.

I shall describe one form of front rod embodying my invention, and shall then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing a railway switch provided with a front rod embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a front end View of the switch shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view partly sectioned showing the method of attaching the front rod to one of the switch points. Fig. 4 is an enlarged view partly in isometric projection and partly in section of the switch basket S forming part of the front rod embodying my invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in all four views.

Referring to the drawing, a front rod embodying my invention, which front rod is designated as a whole by the reference character F, is here shown attached by means of point lugs I and la to the switch points 2 and 2a, respectively, of a railway switch A. The railway switch A is of the usual and well-known construction and comprises, in addition to the movable switch points,

the usual stock rails 3 and 3a spiked or otherwise secured to the usual crossties 4.

The front rod in the form illustrated comprises two similar rectangular bars 5 and 5a provided at one end with eye lugs B and 6a, respectively, and connected together at the other end by a witch basket S.

The eyelugs 6. and. 6a are. preferably identical castings or forgings, and are. secured to the bars 5 and 5a as by welding whereby a very rigid construction is obtained. Formed in the. eye lugs 6 and. 6a are through openings 8 and8a which re.- ceive cylindrical portions 9 and. 9a formed on the point lugs between shoulders l0 and Illa and, screw threaded portions II and I la. The lugs are yieldably clamped in place on the. cylindrical portions 9 and 9a of the point lugs between the. shoulders Ill and [0c and spring washers l2 and 12a by means of nuts [3 and [3d screwed onto the threaded. portions ll andv H a, and. in order to permit a slight amount of angular movement between the point lugs and the. front rod when the switch. is operated. from one extreme position to the other without subjecting, either the point lugs or the front rod to excessive strains that. might result in ultimate breakage, each opening 8 or a is formedwith a diameter which increases gradually from the central part of the opening toward each outer end, whereby each end of the hole is gradually rounded outwardly.

The switch basket S (see Fig. 4) comprises a main body portion l4 and a cover member I5. The main body portion [4 is preferably in the form of a rectangular casting or forging, and is provided with a rectangular channel I la which receives the two ends of the two bars 5 and 5a with slight clearance, and with a laterally projecting apertured leg Mb by means of which the usual lock rod I6 may be attached to the front rod.

The cover member I5 is attached to the upper side of the body portion I4 of the switch basket in a position to close the upper side of the channel Ma by means of studs 11, and has formed on its underside serrations I5a which mate with with serrrations l8 and I8a formed in the upper edge of the bars 5 and 5a in such manner that when the cover is secured in place the bars will be rigidly locked in any longitudinal position in the channel which they occupy at the time the cover is secured in place. The studs I I extend through clearance holes in the cover member, and are screwed into tapped holes in the main body portion of the switch basket. Interposed between the heads of the studs and the cover are suitable lock washers I 9 which prevent the cover from loosening due to vibration.

With the front rod constructed in the manner described it will be apparent that by loosening the studs l1 sufiiciently to permit the serrations on the cover to be disengaged from those on the bars 5 and 5a adjustment of the bars relative to the switch basket can readily by made, whereby the length of the front rod and hence the spacing of the switch points maintained by the front rod can be readily varied. The parts are so proportioned that suflicient adjustment is provided to take care of any variations in switch point spacing likely to be encountered in practice.

It will also be apparent that with this arrangement, all adjustments of the front rod are made at one central point and are made above the top of the ties. This is a big advantage from a maintenance standpoint when the front rods are in service.

In addition to this advantage the front rod embodying my invention also possesses a number of other advantages, namely, the alikeness of the parts at the two ends of the rod, the simplicity of design, the small number of bolts employed, and the absence of projecting parts likely to be damaged by dragging equipment.

It should be noted that each point lug l and la is provided with a ball end 29, whereby the usual point detector rod 20 may be attached directly to either point,

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of front rod for railway switches embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. An adjustable front rod for railway switches' comprising a pair of rectangular bars provided at I one end with eye lugs and at the other end with serrations on one edge, and a switch basket comprising a main body portion provided with a rectangular channel which receives the ends of said bars, and a cover member secured to said main body portion and provided with serrations which mate with the serrations on said bars to lock said bars in predetermined positions relative to said switch basket.

2. The combination with the switch points of railway switch, of point lugs secured to said switch points and each provided with a cylindrical portion disposed between a shoulder and a threaded portion, and a front rod comprising a pair of rectangular bars each provided at one end with an eye lug formed with an opening which receives. a different one of the cylindrical portions of said point lugs and each adjustably connected at the other end to a switch basket including means for attaching a front rod thereto, nuts screwed onto the threaded portions of said point lugs, and spring washers disposed between said nuts and said eye portions and acting to yieldably hold said lugs in fixed positions on said point lugs, the openings in said eye portion being enlarged outwardly from the center in a manner to permit a slight amount of angular movement between the point lugs and the front rod when the switch is operated from one extreme position to the other without subjecting either the point lugs or the front rod to excessive strains.

3. An adjustable front rod for railway switches comprising two rectangular bars provided at one end with means for attaching them to the opposite switch points of a railway switch and each provided at the other end with serrations in one edge of the bar, a switch basket comprising a main body portion formed with a rectangular channel which receives the ends of said bars and with a lug for attaching a lock rod thereto, and a cover member secured to said body member in a position to close said channel and provided with serrations which when said cover is secured in place mate with the serrations in said bars to lock said bars in adjusted positions relative to said switch 40 basket.

HARRY R. SMITH. 

